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Dam construction to reduce greenhouse gases causes ecosystem disruption
http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2013/jun/dam-construction-reduce-greenhouse-gases-causes-ecosystem-disruption[font face=Serif][font size=5]Dam construction to reduce greenhouse gases causes ecosystem disruption[/font]
06/18/2013
The study this story is based on is available online: http://bit.ly/14XWxBu
[font size=3]CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers conclude in a new report that a global push for small hydropower projects, supported by various nations and also the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may cause unanticipated and potentially significant losses of habitat and biodiversity.
An underlying assumption that small hydropower systems pose fewer ecological concerns than large dams is not universally valid, scientists said in the report. A five-year study, one of the first of its type, concluded that for certain environmental impacts the cumulative damage caused by small dams is worse than their larger counterparts.
The findings were reported by scientists from Oregon State University in the journal Water Resources Research, in work supported by the National Science Foundation.
The conclusions were based on studies of the Nu River system in China but are relevant to national energy policies in many nations or regions – India, Turkey, Latin America - that seek to expand hydroelectric power generation. Hydropower is generally favored over coal in many developing areas because it uses a renewable resource and does not contribute to global warming. Also, the social and environmental problems caused by large dam projects have resulted in a recent trend toward increased construction of small dams.
…[/font][/font]
06/18/2013
The study this story is based on is available online: http://bit.ly/14XWxBu
[font size=3]CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers conclude in a new report that a global push for small hydropower projects, supported by various nations and also the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may cause unanticipated and potentially significant losses of habitat and biodiversity.
An underlying assumption that small hydropower systems pose fewer ecological concerns than large dams is not universally valid, scientists said in the report. A five-year study, one of the first of its type, concluded that for certain environmental impacts the cumulative damage caused by small dams is worse than their larger counterparts.
The findings were reported by scientists from Oregon State University in the journal Water Resources Research, in work supported by the National Science Foundation.
The conclusions were based on studies of the Nu River system in China but are relevant to national energy policies in many nations or regions – India, Turkey, Latin America - that seek to expand hydroelectric power generation. Hydropower is generally favored over coal in many developing areas because it uses a renewable resource and does not contribute to global warming. Also, the social and environmental problems caused by large dam projects have resulted in a recent trend toward increased construction of small dams.
…[/font][/font]
